Work support for portable electric sewing machines



1942- H. M. GADBOIS 2,305,343

WORK SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 9, 1959 INVENTOR. 63405013 7 AT R Y Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WORK SUPPORT; FOR PORTABLE ELECTRIC SEWING BEACHINES Helen M. Gadbois, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 9, 1939, Serial No. 289,214

6 Claims.

My invention relates to a work support particularly designed for the portable types of electrically operated sewing machines and has for its principal object, to provide a work support in the form of a small horizontally disposed panel that functions as a table and which may be conveniently applied to or removed from the sewing machine and which is effective in maintaining a considerable portion of the work and particularly that portion of the work through which the needle is passing, in a horizontal plane so as to enable the operator to more readily and conveniently move and shift the work during the sewing operation.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide a work support that is relatively simple in construction, capable of being easily applied to or removed from the sewing machine and the base upon which it is mounted, further, to construct the support so that portions thereof are clamped between the base plate of the sewing machine and the block or base to which said base plate is hinged and further, to construct the support so that when the same is associated with the sewing machine it will bemaintained in a firm and rigid position.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portable electric sewing machine together with its base and showing my improved work support applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the work support posi' tioned on the base that supports the sewing machine, the latter not being shown.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevational view, enlarged, of the parts seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 5 in Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, ill designates the base frame of a conventional portable electric sewing machine, which frame is substantially rectangular in form, approximately three or four inches high, and provided with side and end walls.

Connected by conventional hinges H to one of the side walls of this base frame is the rear portion of the base plate l2 that carries a conventional sewing machine head [3.

Formed in the left hand portion of the base plate I? is an aperture M for the accommodaticn of the needle and to the sides of this aperture are slots l5 for the accommodation of the feed it. Immediately to the left of these openings IQ and i5, a portion of the base plate i2 is cut away to form an opening it that gives access to the shuttle and its operating mechanism and, this opening is normally closed by a sliding plate l'l.

All of the parts just described are conventional and form no part of my invention.

The work supporting table contemplated by my invention comprises a substantially rectangular plate or panel I8, preferablyv formed of metal or composition, and in order to give the same the desired strength and rigidity, the marginal portions of said plate are bent or extended downwardly and thence inwardly to form reinforcing beads l9.

Extending from the right hand end of the work supporting plate l8 inwardly toward the center of said plate is an opening 20 and, a portion of the plate along the front side of this opening is extended downward to form a vertically disposed flange 2| which, when the work support is applied to the base Ill, occupies a position directly against the inner face of the front side rail of said base (see Fig. 3).

Extending inward from the lower end of flange N is a narrow horizontally disposed flange 22 that occupies a position directly beneath a rib or flange I2a that extends downwardly from the under side of base plate I2 a short distance in-' wardly from the front edge of said base plate. A strip 23 of cushioning material, either felt or rubber, is positioned on top of the work supporting table immediately adjacent the depending flange 2|, thus providing a yielding support for the front edge of the base plate 12 and, a

somewhat similar cushioning strip 24 of felt or rubber is positioned on top of the flange 22 and is' engaged by the depending flange l2a of the base plate. 7 1

A portion of the material forming the work supporting table along the rear side of the opening Ell is extended downwardly to form a vertically disposed flange 25 that occupies a position between the rear side rail of base Ill and a flange I22) that depends from base plate I? adjacent its rear edge and, positioned on top of the work supporting table immediately adjacent the upper end of flange 25 is a cushioning strip 26 of felt, rubber, or the like, and upon which rests the rear marginal portion of base plate l2.

Portions of the work supporting table that overlie the rear side rail of the base H] are notched or cut away as designated by 21 for the accommodation of the hinges II that connect the base plate I2 of the sewing machine to the base frame I0.

A portion of the work supporting table at the inner end of opening 20 is extended downwardly to form a vertically disposed flange 28 and which latter is adapted to occupy a position directly against the inner face of the left hand end wall of base frame l and, positioned on top of the table l8 immediately adjacent this flange 28 is a cushioning strip 29 of felt, rubber, or the like, and upon which rests the left hand end of base plate I2.

Depending from base plate I2 at the left hand end of the opening l6 therein is a narrow flange 30 that is adapted to overlie the upper portion of flange 28.

Arranged in the corners between the side rails of base frame It] and the left hand end rail thereof are vertically disposed fillets 35, the upper ends thereof terminating a short distance below the upper face of the base frame and, in the corners at the inner end of opening 2%) portions of the table l8 are extended downwardly to form short flanges 32, the lower ends of which rest on the upper ends of said fillets (see Fig. 5).

Thus, the Work supporting plate or panel is is positively supported on the base I 6 at the inner corners of the opening 2t which is formed in said plate or panel [8 for the accommodation of the base l2 of the sewing machine head.

To apply the work-supporting table to a sewing machine, the now used head latch member L is rotated clear of the base plate l2, and the base plate is raised on the hinges l I. The latch L is then swung inwardly under the raised base plate for supporting the latter in a partly raised position. The work support is then slipped into position from the left under the base plate with the flange 2| in front and the flange 25 in the rear, that is, with these flanges, respectively, adjacent the front and rear walls forming the opening of the machine frame. The flange 25 is located between the hinges H. The latch L is then withdrawn and the head and base plate allowed to be lowered and to rest upon cushion 24 of the flange 22, and upon the cushions 23, 26, and 29 on top of the work-supporting table I 8. The latch is then rotated to a locking position, as shown in Fig. 1, for holding or securing the base plate and work-supporting table in position.

Thus the work supporting table is firmly held between the base It and the base l2 of the sewing machine and, a considerable portion of the work that is being done on the sewing machine is supported in a practically horizontal plane immediately in front of the needle to the rear thereof and for a substantial distance to the left of said needle, thus enabling the operator to conveniently move and shift the work during sewing operations.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a work support for portable electric sewing machines that is relatively simple in construction,

inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved work support for portable electric sewing machines, may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my inven tion, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as m invention:

1. A work support for portable electric sewing machines comprising a plate provided with an opening that extends from one end of the plate inwardly toward the other end, integral flanges depending from said plate along the sides and inner end of said opening, a horizontally disposed flange extending inwardly from the lower portion of one of the side flanges and there being notches formed at pre-determined points in the edge of the plate on the opposite side of the opening from said inwardly extending flange for the reception of the hinges that connect the sewing machine head, with which the work support is associated, to the sewing machine base.

2. A work support for a portable electric sewing machine having a base frame and a sewing machine head carrying plate connected to said base frame by hinges, comprising a work-supporting plate provided with an opening that extends from one end of the latter plate inwardly toward the other end, flanges depending from the latter plate along the sides and inner end of the opening therein, which flanges are adapted to occupy positions against the inner faces of the side and one end wall of the base frame and there being notches formed at pre-determined points in the edge of the plate on one side of the opening therein for the accommodation of the hinges that connect the sewing machine head carrying base plate to said base frame and are adapted to receive thereagainst the corresponding side and end portions of the base plate.

3. A work supporting table for a portable electric sewing machine having a base frame provided with an opening and a sewing machine head carrying base plate connected to said base frame by hinges and positioned in said opening, comprising a table having one end overlying a portion of the base frame, said overlying portion of the table provided with an opening, portions of the table along the edges of said opening being extended downwardly into the opening in said base frame, the base plate that carries the sewing machine head being positioned on top of the work supporting table with edge portions thereof overlying the edge portions of the opening in said work supporting table, said work supporting table being provided with notches at one side of the opening therein for the accommodation of the hinges that connect the sewing machine head carrying base plate to said base frame.

4. A work-supporting table for a portable electric sewing machine having a supporting frame provided with an opening and a sewing machine head-carrying base pivotally connected at one edge to the supporting frame at one side of the opening therein, said Work-supporting table comprising a plate adapted to rest on and overlie a portion of the top of the frame, and having a cut-out portion extending inwardly from one end and adapted to fit around and contiguous to three sides of the base, said plate having downwardly and inwardly offset flange means at theedge of the cut-out portion for engaging the underside of the edge portion of the base when the latter is in its normal in-use position.

5. A work-supporting table for a portable electric sewing machine having a supporting frame provided with an opening and a sewing machine head-carrying base pivotally connected by hinges at one lateral edge to the supporting frame at one side of the opening therein, said work-supporting table comprising a plate adapted to rest on and overlie a portion of the top of the frame, and having a cut-out portion extending inwardly from one end and adapted to fit around three sides of the base, said plate having downwardly and inwardly offset flange means at the edge of the cut-out portion, the free edge portion of the base, opposite the pivoted edge, being adapted to rest on the ofiset flange means when the sewing machine headcarrying base is in its normal in-use position, said plate having also a downwardly directed flange adapted to fit into the opening of the frame between the hinges.

6. A work-supporting table for a portable electric sewing machine having a supporting frame provided with an opening and a sewing machine head-carrying base pivotally connected at one edge to the supporting frame at one side of the opening therein, said work-supporting table comprising a plate adapted to rest on and overlie a portion of the top of the frame, said plate having a cut-out portion, one edge of the latter portion having a downwardly extending flange, another edge of said out-out portion, opposite the first edge, having a downwardly extending and inwardly offset portion, the flange being adapted to engage the pivoted edge portion of the base and the offset portion being adapted to engage the free-edge portion and also the adjacent underside of the base when said base is in its normal in-use position.

HELEN M. GADBOIS. 

